Publicity Rights of the Dead

Courts have long held that a celebrity’s image is a financial asset; your salon can’t slap a picture of Lady Gaga on the sign as if she endorses you. But what about Marilyn Monroe? What happens to the publicity rights of notable people when they die? What about a writer’s novels, or the chord progression of a song by a deceased composer? In truth, the law governing posthumous rights of publicity is ever-changing, and to complicate things more, it can vary from state to state. Join us to learn more about what happens to our image and intellectual property when we die.